Charles tuckfield



(No Model.) G. TUGKFIELD.

ENGINE.

Patented May 11, 1897.

UNITED STATES 'FFICE.

PATENT ENGINE.

STECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 582,244, dated May 11,1897. Application filed July 81, 1896. Serial No. 601,283. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES TUOKFIELD, a subject of Her Majesty theQueen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Albany, in the Colony ofWestern Australia, have invented a new and Improved Engine, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention has for its object the construction of an engine whoseessential feature is the peculiar means devised for the employment of acontinuously-revolving piston both during its backward andforwardlongitudinal travel within the cylinder by the wellknown motive power ofsteam or other pressure. This result is obtained by the construction ofa cylinder with a spiral or groove formed in its inner surfaceorperiphery. Such spiral is continuous-that is, it returns to itsapparent starting-point within the cylinder and at similar pitch to itsother half portion, so that traveling in such groove from and returningto any one given point in same a complete circle or circuit will bedescribed within the cylinder. In conjunction with this groove I use apiston having a button or equivalent projection affixed to its rim orperiphery,which button works or travels within or engages withabove-mentioned groove. Consequently as the piston is impelledlongitudinally the button in impinging or pressing against the sides ofthe spiral causes the piston to rotate,which rotation is maintained aslong as the piston is traveling either in a backward or forwarddirection.

In practice I prefer to construct a cylinder having a one-half-circuitgroove that is to result in the piston making half arevolution in itstravel from end to opposite end of the cylinder.

That part of the piston-rod which is within the cylinder-is of squaresection, on which the piston slides up and down, the piston-rod beingcircular at its'ends, which work in bearings mounted in or upon thecylinder-covers. The outer end of the piston-rod may carry a pulley forthe transmission of power.

To prevent any leakage of steam or other motive fluid or liquid throughthat portion of the groove in which the fixed button is not actuallyengaged, I form two parallel and surrounding grooves or recesses in therim of the piston, one at each side of the fixed button. These groovescarry loose buttons which slide easily around the piston and travel inand along the spiral formed in the cylinder.

A clearance-space is provided at each end of the cylinder for thepurpose of allowing freedom to the loose buttons while the fixed one ispassing over the apparent junctions or return-points of thecylinder-spiral.

The steam is introduced into the cylinder by means of an ordinaryslide-valve, or I may use a disk having slots, which, as said diskrevolves, said slots open to steam and exhaust ports in end of cylinder.

In order that my invention may be more clearly understood, reference maybe made to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the essentialpart of same, and in which Figure l is a longitudinal section, Figs. 2

and 3 being views of the piston with its grooves and buttons.

In the drawings, A is the cylinder, formed with the spiral or groove B.

O is the piston, having the fixed button 0 grooves 0 and loose buttons 0This piston is formed with a square eye D, which fits on the similarportion D of the piston-rod on which the piston slides. cular formation,as at E, working in glandbearings F, as shown, and having the pulley Gfor purposes of power transmission.

'The working of the invention may briefly be described as follows: Steamor its equivalent motive power being introduced into cylinderA in theordinary manner, the pressure of same impels the piston C in alongitudinal direction, and simultaneously, by means of the fixedprojection (J consequently pressing against the down side of the spiralB, said piston is made to revolve continuously in the one direction. Atsuch time as the piston arrives at the other end of the cylinder, itreceives steam for the return travel, but the action. of the button 0continues resulting in the rotation of the piston as aforesaid.

An exactly similar result is obtained by the alternate mechanismconsisting of the pro jections and spiral groove being formed on thecylinder and piston, respectively. In this latter construction thepiston by its grooves impinges on the cylinder projections, which actionresults in the rotation of the piston.

This rod is of cir-.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Leteral grooves of the piston andin the spiral ters Patent, isgroove of the cylinder, substantially asand I0 The combination with a piston-cylinder for the purpose set forth.provided with a spiral groove B in its inner pe- CHARLES TUCKFIELD 5riphery and a piston provided with a stud or 7 button 0 extending intosaid spiral groove, \Vitnesses: and With peripheral grooves 0 of theloose W'ILLIAM FISHER, studs or buttons 0 traveling in the periph- H. T.OFFORD.

